These oven-baked, snack-size bison sliders pack a punch with their delicious fillings, condiments and buttery topping. They are absolute flavor bombs! I hope you enjoy this appetizer as much as my family and I do.

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The Details on These Bison Sliders
Feeds a crowd. If you’re in charge of feeding a crowd this Canada Day, this exotic Canadian meat dish of mini bison burgers will fit right into the menu along with my red and white themed Canada Day cheesecake in a jar.
Baked, not fried. Unlike other bison meatball sliders that are pan fried, these ones are baked, taking away some active time to enjoy these tiny sandwiches and adding more time for guests.
Not so greasy. The original sliders were called “sliders with a lid” because they were so greasy that they slid on the bun easily. Now, these bison sliders are not as greasy, especially since they are made with bison, but their miniature size will make it easy for them to slide into your mouth.
I also have these pulled pork sliders that are equally delicious!
Ingredients
- ground bison - Ground bison can be found at farmers' markets, specialty meat shops, organic markets and grocery stores.
- blue cheese - Pre-crumbled or you can crumble your own.
- red onion - You can substitute with yellow or white onion if desired.
- pickled jalapeños - These are optional but they provide a bit of kick to the sliders.
- eggs - To bind the meatball ingredients.
- slider buns - Brioche, whole wheat, sesame seed etc.
- mozzarella cheese - Its mild flavor and melting properties are perfect for these sliders.
- prepared horseradish - You can actually find wild horseradish in the same areas that the bison roam. You can also grow your own and use the root to make prepared horseradish. However, store-bought is what I use for this recipe.
- Worcestershire sauce - Enhances the savory, meat flavor.
- poppy seeds - The small seeds in the topping sauce add a nice, crunchy texture contrast to the soft, fluffy buns.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
Chef's Note: These aren't too spicy for my kids to enjoy. But if your kids are sensitive to heat, make them whole-family friendly by omitting the jalapeños and using their favorite sauce instead of the horseradish sauce.
How to Make Bison Sliders
This recipe makes 12 sliders which is perfect for the whole family to enjoy or to serve at a dinner party or gathering!
Step 1. Make the meat mixture. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl combine the ground bison, garlic, blue cheese, onions, jalapeños, egg, salt and pepper (Images 1 and 2).
Step 2. Roll into meatballs. Roll the mixture into 12 meatballs and place them on a baking sheet (Images 3 and 4).
👩🏻🍳Check out more of my bison recipes and if you like meatballs, you might also like my Freezer meal turkey meatballs.
Step 3. Bake meatballs. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (Image 5).
Step 4. Make the slider sauce. Meanwhile, mix all of the slider sauce ingredients together and reserve (Image 6).
Step 5. Prep the buns. Slice the slider buns in half (Image 7). Place the bottom half in a 9” x 13” baking dish. Spoon a little sauce on each bun (Image 8).
Step 6. Assemble the sliders. Top the buns with a meatball and another spoonful of sauce (Image 9). Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top (Image 10).
Step 7. Make the topping. Combine the butter topping ingredients together (Image 11). Place the remaining half of the buns on top of the meatballs and lightly brush them with the butter topping (Image 12).
Step 8. Bake. Transfer the bison sliders to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and the cheese is melted. Let cool for a few minutes and serve!
Make-Ahead Preparations
- The sauce and butter topping can be prepared a day or two ahead of time.
- For the topping, just re-melt it before brushing it onto the sliders.
- Store the slider buns in the freezer and pull them out on the day of serving to thaw so that they stay fresh.
- The meatballs can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator, up to one day in advance, before baking.
Serving Suggestions
With all the spicy ingredients, I recommend a cool, sweet drink to pair with these sliders. One of the classic pairings of burgers and sliders are milkshakes.
If you want a healthier option, I recommend a virgin daiquiri or fruit smoothie. Strawberry is a classic but you can also go with my mango-pineapple smoothie or blackberry smoothie.
Everyone knows fries go with burgers like peanut butter and jelly, but if you want to try different sides, potato salad is a great option. You can also enjoy some potato chips, a simple green salad or grilled mango.
Recipe FAQs
Oven-baking sliders helps to avoid getting them soggy. After cooking the meat, make sure you drain the grease before building the sliders. When it comes to reheating, use an oven rather than a microwave to retain their crispiness.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days.
You can reheat the cooked bison sliders in a 325°F to 350°F oven, covered in foil, until heated through (about 10 to 12 minutes).
Yes. They can be wrapped and frozen in a freezer bag (or in a covered casserole dish) for up to 2 months. Make sure to label with the date. Thaw in the fridge overnight and proceed to reheat in the oven.
More Delicious Bison Recipes
If you tried this Baked Bison Sliders Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Baked Bison Sliders
Ingredients
For the Sliders
- 1 ½ pounds ground bison
- 2 teaspoons garlic - minced
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- ¼ cup red onion - diced
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños - diced
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 12 slider buns - brioche, sesame, whole wheat etc.
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded
For the Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons prepared horseradish
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Butter Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground bison, garlic, blue cheese, onions, jalapeños, egg, salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into 12 meatballs and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Meanwhile, mix all of the sauce ingredients together and reserve.
- Slice the slider buns in half. Place the bottom half in a 9” x 13” baking dish.
- Spoon a little sauce on each bun. Top with a meatball and another spoonful of sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.
- Combine the butter topping ingredients together. Place the remaining half of the buns on top of the meatballs and lightly brush them with the butter topping.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and the cheese is melted.
- Let cool for a few minutes and serve!
Notes
- Make-ahead preparations:
- The sauce and butter topping can be prepared a day or two ahead of time.
- For the topping, just re-melt it before brushing it onto the sliders.
- Store the slider buns in the freezer and pull them out on the day of serving to thaw so that they stay fresh.
- The meatballs can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator, up to one day in advance, before baking.
- Fridge storage: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating leftovers: You can reheat them in a 325°F to 350°F oven, covered in foil, until heated through (about 10 to 12 minutes).
- Freezer storage: They can be wrapped and frozen in a freezer bag (or in a casserole dish) for up to 2 months. Make sure to label with the date. Thaw in the fridge overnight and proceed to reheat in the oven.
- To avoid a soggy slider:
- Oven-baking sliders helps to avoid getting them soggy.
- After cooking the meat, make sure you drain the grease before building the sliders.
- When it comes to reheating, use an oven rather than a microwave to retain their crispiness.
- Tweaks:
- To tone down the spice, you can use pickles instead of jalapeños.
- If blue cheese won't please everyone, try feta.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Dawna says
These are delicious! I can't wait to make them again.
Joss Dyckson says
Thank you so much, Dawna. I really appreciate it and I'm glad you enjoyed them!